The Lantern
The Lantern is a short film by J.P. Leck and is the sixth installment (thirteenth, chronologically) in his Endless Elsewhere multimedia meta-narrative. It is the second Endless Elsewhere short film. It was screened at the Irving Theater for the Shocktober in Irvington event on October 16, 2015, then loaded to YouTube the following day. Synopsis A young man in a motel bathroom recounts a strange tale surrounding his discovery of a strange artifact to a call-in radio show about the paranormal. Plot Summary Coming soon! Post-Credits A painting of a space scene and a glowing green orb is rolled up and stolen by a pair of gloved hands. Characters * Ryan Tolliver - a groundskeeper who, upon discovering a mysterious machine in a disturbed grave, becomes obsessed with the spectre of death it allows him to see following him. ** Ryan Tolliver is played by 'Tucker.'' * '''Ray Kadera - the host of the radio show, Circle City Supernatural. ** Ray Kadera is voiced by 'Timothy Renshaw.'' * '''The Drowned Friend - a friend of Ryan's who had drowned in Old Scratch Creek. ** The Drowned friend is played by 'Samuel Dumas.'' * '''The Show Producer - the producer of Circle City Supernatural. ** The Show Producer is voiced by 'Lindsay Leck.'' Characters Referenced * '''Det. Alex Heaney - referenced as the chief investigator of the grave robberies in the Circle City Chronicle ''article. * 'Kaitlin Pollydore' - seen as the author of the newspaper article hanging in Ryan's bathroom on the subject of the grave robberies. * 'Dr. Frederick Hardesty' - seen and mentioned in the online article in ''The Vigilante Ryan uses while researching the Lantern. * Brian Pollydore - seen as the author of the online article on Fredrick Hardesty Ryan seeks out while researching the Lantern. Locations * Hotel 66 - the hotel in Circle City, IN from which Ryan calls in to Circle City Supernatural. * Circle City Cemetery - the cemetery at which Ryan Tolliver works as a groundskeeper. Artifacts * The Lantern - discovered by Ryan Tolliver in the disinterred grave of its creator, this device can be used to see through the veil into the spiritual realms. References The Lantern contains references to the following Endless Elsewhere tales: * The Novelty ** A copy of the same issue of the Circle City Chronicle on the Novelty's doorstep hangs on the wall in Ryan's hotel bathroom. ** It is revealed that Ryan was the groundskeeper at the same cemetery where the grave robberies took place, which is also where the Novelty meets with the Stranger. ** The photo in the Lantern is the same one that the Novelty studies while searching the Benton House. In turn, The Lantern is referenced in the following Endless Elsewhere stories: * "The Music Box" ** Dr. Hardesty mentions the Lantern while in conversation with Oliver Dynes. * "The Thin Place" ** Dr. Hardesty gives the Lantern its test run and takes the spectral photograph that Ryan finds inside the Lantern. * "The Welievers" ** Dr. Hardesty is referenced as a former patient of the Asylum for Ascendant Alleviation, where the True Welievers are ghost hunting. * "The Pollydores" ** Articles written by both Brian and Kaitlin Pollydore are seen in this film. * "The Red Mass" ** Violet mentions having heard Ryan's appearance on Circle City Supernatural. ** Ryan and Violet use the Lantern to break up a blood cult ritual. * The Roman ** Det. Alex Heaney is referenced as the lead detective on the grave robberies case in the newspaper article hanging on Ryan's bathroom wall. * The Should-Not-Be ** Dr. Hardesty and his companion, Monty, break into Ryan Tolliver's house to find the Lantern. ** Ryan Tolliver agrees to help Hardesty find the Music Box in exchange for his help repairing the Lantern. * "The Invoked" ** The Lantern, now fully repaired, is used to provide our heroes with vital information into the master plan of the demonic masterminds they are facing. * The Devil Doll ** The Lantern is seen in The Devil Doll under lock and key and in the possession of Keith Sorrels and The Unclosing Eye Detective Agency. ** The painting stolen in the post-credits sequence is seen in the room in the curiosity shop where the devil doll is captured. * "The Colonnades" ** The angelic figure who saved Ryan Tolliver from the cloaked spectre appears again to restore his memories with the aid of Hardesty's Lantern. Links * The Lanternon YouTube